Rabiu Alhassan, Founding Executive Director of FactSpace West Africa, has been elected to the board of the International Fact‑Checking Network (IFCN), effective October 1. The IFCN, based at the Poynter Institute in the United States, links more than 170 fact‑checking organisations worldwide to promote high standards, accountability in journalism and information integrity initiatives.
Alhassan will represent Africa on the advisory board for a three‑year term, voting on all significant matters of IFCN direction, including approving verified member applications and renewals. He said he hopes to promote equitable partnerships amid major power imbalances in the information integrity ecosystem, highlight the severe lack of local‑language AI moderation tools in the region, and help build sustained public trust in fact‑checking.
After a multi‑round voting process that involved regional and all‑signatory global votes, Alhassan emerged as the only finalist who cleared the 50%+1 threshold after the first round, out of five other candidates. Two board seats are available for Africa; the IFCN will hold another election for the remaining seat in 2027.
Other newly elected board members include Ritu Kapur (South Asia), Masato Kajimoto (Asia Pacific), Thanos Sitistas (Europe), Daniel Bramatti and Olivia Sohr (Latin America), Aws al‑Saadi (MENA) and Lori Robertson (North America). Alhassan’s win reflects his long‑standing contribution to the global fact‑checking community, having served on several IFCN working groups that produced key outputs such as the Anti‑Harassment Working Group, the YouTube Working Group and the Financial Sustainability Working Group.
On the African continent, Alhassan has guided FactSpace West Africa to become a recognised contributor to the information integrity ecosystem, providing mentorship and training to organisations and journalists and co‑hosting the 2024 Africa Facts Summit, the Africa Check‑led annual Fact‑Checking Conference in Accra. He launched FactSpace West Africa in 2019, leading it to sign the IFCN Code of Principles and to establish footprints in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
Alhassan, a journalist and media entrepreneur with 17 years of experience across television, radio, print and digital platforms, holds an Erasmus Mundus master’s degree in Journalism, Media and Globalisation from City, St. George’s University of London and Aarhus University. His appointment is expected to strengthen the IFCN’s efforts to promote integrity in journalism worldwide.
